We didn't get to Baltimore after all. Halfway down the highway, the storm that we were following got markedly worse. The turnoff to the next highway was deep in traffic. The weather report indicated that another storm was hovering over Baltimore. We turned around.Through water, and clearing skies, we drove down beside the Potomac to Alexandria. Found great parking and walked down to the harbor. The whole family exhaled, and paused, and we stood at the wooden railing, gazing at the slips and the water. Shimmering under cloudy skies, the Potomac made patterns, fractals, paralellograms. The white hulls drew long wavy lines on the darkness. It was so beautiful, and as DH said, ancient. The Potomac has been here long before humans came, and will be here after us. Soothing, and, yes, grounding. DD said she felt solidly in her body. I took a deep, deep breath of damp air, and agreed.Dinner was crab, and oysters, and local beer, and local rootbeer. The drive home was quiet. More rain. Even if you can't get to the Bay, or the ocean, there's water: river water, stream water, lake water.